Not a melting pot: Plant species aggregate in their non-native range

Authors: STOTZ, GISELA - University Of Alberta; CAHILL JR, JAMES - University Of Alberta; BENNETT, JONATHAN - University Of Alberta; CARLYLE, CAMERON - University Of Alberta; BORK, EDWARD - University Of Alberta; ASKARIZADEH, DIANA - University Of Tehran; BARTHA, SANDOR - Institute For Advanced Studies; BEIERKUHNLEIN, CARL - University Of Bayreuth; BOLDGIV, BAZARTSEREN - National University Of Mongolia; BROWN, LESLIE - University Of South Africa; CABIDO, MARCELO - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba; CAMPETELLA, GIANDIEGO - Università Degli Studi Di Camerino; CHELLI, STEFANO - Università Degli Studi Di Camerino; COHEN, OFER - Tel Aviv University; DIAZ, SANDRA - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba; ENRICO, LUCAS - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba; ENSING, DAVID - Queen'S University - Canada; ERDENETSETSEG, BATDELGER - National University Of Mongolia; FIDELIS, ALESSANDRA - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); GARRIS, HEATH - Covenant College; HENRY, HUGH - University Of Western Ontario; JENTSCH, ANKE - University Of Bayreuth; JOURI, MOHAMMAD - Islamic Azad University; KOOREM, KADRI - University Of Tartu; MANNING, PETER - Senckenberg German Entomological Institute; MITCHELL, RANDALL - University Of Akron; MOORA, MARI - University Of Tartu; OVERBECK, GERHARD - Federal University Of Rio Grande Do Sul; PITHER, JASON - University Of British Columbia; Reinhart, Kurt; STERNBERG, MARCELO - Tel Aviv University; TUNGALAG, RADNAAKHAND - National University Of Mongolia; UNDRAKHBOLD, SAINBILEG - National University Of Mongolia; VAN ROOYEN, MARGARETHA - University Of Pretoria; WELLSTEIN, CAMILLA - Free University Of Bozen-Bolzano; ZOBEL, MARTIN - University Of Tartu; FRASER, LAUCHLAN - Thompson Rivers University

Submitted to: Global Ecology and Biogeography
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2019
Publication Date: 12/19/2019
Citation: Stotz, G.C., Cahill Jr, J.F., Bennett, J.A., Carlyle, C.N., Bork, E.W., Askarizadeh, D., Bartha, S., Beierkuhnlein, C., Boldgiv, B., Brown, L., Cabido, M., Campetella, G., Chelli, S., Cohen, O., Diaz, S., Enrico, L., Ensing, D., Erdenetsetseg, B., Fidelis, A., Garris, H.W., Henry, H.A., Jentsch, A., Jouri, M.H., Koorem, K., Manning, P., Mitchell, R., Moora, M., Overbeck, G.E., Pither, J., Reinhart, K.O., Sternberg, M., Tungalag, R., Undrakhbold, S., van Rooyen, M., Wellstein, C., Zobel, M., Fraser, L.H. 2019. Not a melting pot: Plant species aggregate in their non-native range. Global Ecology and Biogeorgraphy. 29:482-490. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13046.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13046

Interpretive Summary: Using a worldwide, multi-site field-study of herbaceous grassland communities we show that alien species are more likely to occupy species-poor communities of relatively high plant biomass in their introduced range. Further, alien species co-occurred with fewer native species, but with a higher number of alien species in their introduced, compared to their native range. These patterns of association observed were not a property of the species or dependent on invasive status, but rather, they were inherent properties of being introduced away from the native range. Although alien species generally associated with low native species richness, their aggregation did not result in further declines in native species richness. Overall, our results suggest that alien species tend to aggregate rather than randomly assimilate into native communities, thus creating mosaics of alien vs. native-rich communities.

Technical Abstract: Using a worldwide, multi-site field-study of herbaceous grassland communities we show that alien species are more likely to occupy species-poor communities of relatively high plant biomass in their introduced range. Further, alien species co-occurred with fewer native species, but with a higher number of alien species in their introduced, compared to their native range. These patterns of association observed were not a property of the species or dependent on invasive status, but rather, they were inherent properties of being introduced away from the native range. Although alien species generally associated with low native species richness, their aggregation did not result in further declines in native species richness. Overall, our results suggest that alien species tend to aggregate rather than randomly assimilate into native communities, thus creating mosaics of alien vs. native-rich communities.